Tranmere’s Woolery aims to fill void left by Vaughan injury

Since sustaining a knee injury against Leyton Orient on February 27th, James Vaughan has been out of action and Tranmere have been without the second highest scorer in League Two.

In Kaiyne Woolery they have a player not yet having hit his prime but who looks hungry and capable of scoring the goals in Vaughan’s absence to help Rovers over the line in their bid to return to League One.

Having joined the Prenton Park outfit just prior to the new season on a free transfer from Swindon, the 26-year-old took a few games to settle and didn’t get his first goal until an EFL Trophy draw with Wigan in November.

That first goal didn’t spark the run the London born attacker would have hoped for but the turn of the year has seen the former Bolton man thrive. A run of seven goals in nine games from the end of January and throughout February helped Tranmere climb the table and become genuine promotion contenders.

With Vaughan as the focal point and Danny Lloyd and Woolery either side, Rovers looked capable of beating anybody and the front three looked formidable against even the best defences.

The aforementioned injury has forced Keith Hill to change things however as he looks to adjust without his talismanic frontman. Hill claimed last week that Vaughan will be out for ‘four to six weeks’ after his surgery so he could conceivably return for the final part of the run-in.

Therefore it’s vital that Rovers remain in the mix until then and a returning Vaughan could inspire Hill’s side over the line. While missing, Hill has turned to different options to plug that gap left up front and yesterday’s clash with Mansfield saw Paul Lewis operating as a false nine.

Lewis worked hard and put himself about, winning his fair share of aerial battles. Ultimately though he looked what he was. A midfielder doing his best playing in an unfamiliar position. He was feeding off scraps and never really got into the threatening positions you’d associate with an out and out striker.

Woolery on the other hand looked a threat from early and was giving the Stags’ defence something different to deal with entirely. From tracking back to help out defensively early on, Woolery was popping up all over the pitch trying to influence proceedings.

Woolery’s pace was causing issues for Nigel Clough’s defence and he nipped in ahead of Farrend Rawson and got a shot away that went just wide. Woolery looked sharp and on his game.

Another shot narrowly wide after some good control should have served as a warning to Mansfield but the Stags didn’t heed that warning and Woolery opened the scoring on the stroke of half time.

Kieron Morris, who had a very decent game roaming in midfield, pounced on a second ball outside the box and found Woolery who had made himself some space. Woolery took a nice first touch on his left foot to steady himself before firing past Aidan Stone, giving the keeper no chance.

The goal gave Rovers a massive lift coming just before the half time whistle and Woolery will have gone in for the break hungry for more.

Unfortunately for Tranmere supporters they failed to build on their lead and sat back allowing Mansfield to apply pressure. The pressure eventually told when Stephen Quinn volleyed home.

Up to this point in the second half Woolery had been starved of possession and looked as though he was going to be subbed off as his number came up on the fourth official’s board. There was either a mix-up or a change of mind as Woolery stayed on to help Rovers push for a winner.

He did try to inject some life into the attack, drifting wide to get on the ball and run at the Mansfield backline. A blocked shot was the most he could show for his efforts but keeping him on the pitch was the right call.

Ali Crawford did have a massive chance in the second half, firing over from inside the area after a cutback. That was the kind of chance you’d want Woolery on the end of but it fell to the wrong man unfortunately for Keith Hill.

With his personal six game drought now over, Woolery will be hoping to push on with two huge games with promotion rivals Cheltenham and Cambridge on the horizon over the Easter weekend. Having experienced promotion last season on a PPG method, Woolery will be hoping for success on the pitch this time and on Saturday’s evidence he will be crucial to Rovers’ hopes.

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